- C404, Portland Square, Drake Circus, Plymouth, Devon, PL4 8AA
- +44 1752 586782
- james.edwards@plymouth.ac.uk
Profiles
Dr James Edwards
Lecturer in Biomedical Sciences (Microbiology)
Peninsula Medical School (Plymouth University Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry)
Role
Lecturer in Biomedical Science
Qualifications
I joined PU PSMD as a Lecturer in Biomedical Science in 2013. I previously worked as a research scientist and Teaching Fellow at the University of York. I have worked on a variety of research projects, both in industry and academia, with the most recent studying respiratory processes and growth physiology in pathogenic bacteria. At York I taught on a number of biochemistry modules and supervised undergraduate project students. At Plymouth, my position allows me to focus on teaching our BMBS students about various topics in microbiology.
Qualifications
BSc (Hons) Microbiology, University of Surrey, 2002
PhD, Department of Biology, University of York, 2006
PGCAP, University of Plymouth, 2014
Teaching interests
I have teaching interests in medical microbiology, antibiotics, antibiotic resistance and molecular biology. I deliver lectures and life science resource centre sessions (small group teaching) in support of these areas.
Within the department I have several roles:
- Academic lead for microbiology (School of Medicine)
- Academic tutor (year 1 & 2)
- Pastoral tutor
- PBL facilitator (year 1)
- Co-lead for the year 3 SSU 'Doctor as Educator' (PU PSMD) with Dr. Karen Johnstone
- Year 4 science coordinator with Dr. Iain Robinson
- Co-lead for the clinician-scientist partnership with Dr. Adele Hill
- SSC1 assessment lead
- SSU provider for SSU1 and my microbiology SSU has been chosen for delivery in SSU 2, 4 & 5
- Case Unit Block Lead for Carcinogenesis and Neoplasia
- TEL coordinator (School of Medicine)
- I also sit on the faculty IT committee
Research interests
Microbial Biochemistry
I am interested in the growth physiology of bacterial pathogens, how they respire and how they regulate the transcription of respiratory genes.
I have used in vitro and in vivo approaches in the past to investigate this, including gene cloning, protein over-expression and purification, DNA binding assays, gene knock-outs and reporter gene fusions.
Science Education
I have undertaken the Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice (PGCAP).
I am particularly interested in how microbiology is taught nationally, both in science and healthcare curricula.
Key publications are highlighted
Journals
Articles
2015
'Cytochrome c -based domain modularity governs genus-level diversification of electron transfer to dissimilatory nitrite reduction'
Environmental Microbiology
17,
(6)
2114-2132
, DOI
2014
'A large genomic island allows Neisseria meningitidis to utilize propionic acid, with implications for colonization of the human nasopharynx'
Mol Microbiol
93,
(2)
346-355
, DOI
2012
'Neisseria meningitidis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae are differently adapted in the regulation of denitrification: single nucleotide polymorphisms that enable species-specific tuning of the aerobic–anaerobic switch'
Biochemical Journal
445,
(1)
69-79
, DOI
2011
'The explosive-degrading cytochrome P450 XplA: biochemistry, structural features and prospects for bioremediation'
Biochim Biophys Acta
1814,
(1)
230-236
, DOI
2010
'Binding to DNA protects Neisseria meningitidis fumarate and nitrate reductase regulator (FNR) from oxygen'
J Biol Chem
285,
(2)
1105-1112
, DOI
2008
'The Explosive-Degrading Cytochrome P450 System Is Highly Conserved among Strains of Rhodococcus spp'
Applied and Environmental Microbiology
74,
(14)
4550-4552
, DOI
2006
'An explosive-degrading cytochrome P450 activity and its targeted application for the phytoremediation of RDX'
Nat Biotechnol
24,
(2)
216-219
, DOI